Items to Keep and Throw Away After Mold Removal
After flooding or a freeze, it is beyond frustrating to consider throwing out even more due to the mold growth that occurs in the weeks following the initial damage. Still, it’s important to protect yourself and your family by limiting exposure to mold spores as much as possible. Once your home has undergone repairs and treatment, it’s time to look through affected belongings and decide what items to keep and throw away after mold removal.
What To Keep
The moment you see mold on your belongings, it sends a shiver down your spine and puts a weight in your gut. Throwing away items, especially those you used daily, isn’t easy. Luckily there are some objects that you can clean and keep around. Here are some items that you can keep after mold removal services:
- Electrical appliances
- Fabrics or clothing
- Nonporous items like glass, plastic, and metal
- Pottery, frames, and solid-surface containers
Inspect each of the items you want to keep thoroughly before and after cleaning. Mold still grows on these items, so you’ll need to remove it entirely before you can use the item again. For fabrics you intend to keep, mold growth may cause stains that are only apparent after cleaning and could make the item unsalvageable.
After removing the mold, keep the items as dry as possible, and clean them as you typically would at least once before using them again.
What To Preserve
One of the most distressing aspects of mold growth is how easily it damages valuables. Photographs, letters, canvases, furniture, and other family heirlooms are all susceptible to the exact environment that promotes mold growth.
Items like these are difficult to clean all the way and can suffer irreparable damage from mold staining. Throwing them away removes mold spores from your home, so spend time considering how to preserve their meaning. Scanning in paper items and photographing heirlooms allows your family to retain the memories while staying safe.
What To Toss
The simplest way to decide what items to keep and what to throw away after mold removal is to ask yourself if it’s replaceable. Cleaning mold off objects is time-consuming, requires you to purchase new tools and protective gear, and can cause further damage to the object itself.
Some items that are easier to replace than to clean include:
- Stuffed animals or fabric toys
- Upholstered furniture or mattresses
- Affected food items
If your Florida home has recently experienced water damage and you’re seeing, smelling, or feeling the effects of mold, we are happy to help. Our team at Mold Only offers mold remediation in Delray Beach and much of Southern Florida. We test your home to identify the mold present, isolate and remove mold spores, and help you determine what is safe to keep afterward and how to prevent mold from affecting your home and belongings in the future.
